Dialogue Sheet For Losers

How to Punctuate Dialogue
Cheat Sheet
Commas with Dialogue Tags

Place the comma inside the ending double quotation marks. Do not capitalize the dialogue tag that
follows, which is a phrase that features a subject (e.g., he, she, they, the captain) and a speech-related
verb like “said” or “whispered.”
“I’m trying my best,” he said.
This dialogue tag remains uncapitalized when paired with a question mark or exclamation point.
Don’t include a comma after these forms of punctuation.
“Are you going to do it?” she asked.
“Yes, I will!” he shouted.
If the tag comes before the dialogue itself, the comma goes after the tag.
She said, “You should really pay attention to commas.”
If the tag interrupts the dialogue and the character continues their sentence, then a comma appears
inside the end quotation as normal. A comma is also used for the end of the tag to indicate that the
sentence continues.
“I don’t know,” she said, “but I’m going to try.”
However, if the second phrase is a new sentence (indicated by a capital letter), then the dialogue tag
should end in a period.
“I don’t know,” she said. “But I’m going to try.”
Action Beats
Remember that actions aren’t dialogue tags. As such, they need to be formatted as separate sentences
with a capital letter.
“I forgot your name. Sorry.” He shrugged.
She laughed. “It’s not a big deal.”
Actions that interrupt dialogue are formatted with em dashes outside the dialogue without commas.
“I forgot your name, so”—he shrugged—“sorry about that.”
Created by Diane Callahan – Quotidian Writer (www.quotidianwriter.com)

Often Acceptable Dialogue Tags
Dialogue tags feature speech-related verbs. Actions like “sighed,” “trailed off,” “laughed,” and
“giggled” are typically treated as separate sentences. “Said,” “replied,” and “asked” are fine to use
frequently as dialogue tags, but below are other options that can be used occasionally.
added cooed purred
announced cried sang
argued demanded screamed
began elaborated shouted
begged exclaimed snapped
blurted grumbled snarled
boomed hissed spat
chimed in interrupted went on
commanded mumbled whispered
complained murmured yelled
continued muttered
Direct Address
Use a comma with the name, nickname, or role of a person when another character is addressing
them in dialogue.
“Hey, Diane.”
“What’s up, bro?”
“Mr. Anderson, we need you to come with us.”
Interrupted Speech
Whenever a character cuts off another character mid-sentence, or a character stops talking abruptly,
use an em dash.
“What the—” he began.
“It’s not what it looks like,” she said.
Speech that trails off can end in an ellipsis.
“I have no idea what happened . . .” He trailed off.

Quotes within Quotes
If a character is quoting someone else, or they’re reading text aloud, use single quotes within the
double quotation marks.
“The note says, ‘Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.’”
Single quotes can also be used for “air quotes” indicating sarcasm within dialogue:
“I guess he thinks he’s ‘all that,’ huh?”
Within the narrative itself, though, you would use the standard quotation marks.
She had mentioned something about “taking her time.”
Monologues
If the same character keeps talking across paragraphs, leave off the quotation mark at the end of the
paragraph, and include another quotation mark at the start of the next paragraph. Only use the
ending quotation mark once they’ve finished their monologue. These open quotation marks signal a
continuation by the same speaker. Here’s an example from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee:
[opening quotation mark] “But there is one way in this country in which all men
are created equal— there is one human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a
Rockefeller, the stupid man the equal of an Einstein, and the ignorant man the equal of any
college president. That institution, gentlemen, is a court. It can be the Supreme Court of the
United States or the humblest court in the land, or this honorable court which you serve.
Our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this country our courts are
the great levelers, and in our courts all men are created equal. [no ending quotation mark]
[opening quotation mark] “I’m no idealist to believe firmly in the integrity of our
courts and in the jury system—that is no ideal to me, it is a living, working reality.
Gentlemen, a court is no better than each man of you sitting before me on this jury. A court
is only as sound as its jury, and a jury is only as sound as the men who make it up. I am
confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the evidence you have heard, come
to a decision, and restore this defendant to his family. In the name of God, do your duty.”
[ending quotation mark]

Summary of my tips for punctuating dialogue:
● If a tag comes after the dialogue, a comma goes inside the quotation mark.
● Don’t capitalize dialogue tags when they follow the dialogue (e.g., she said, they asked).
● If a tag comes before the dialogue, a comma goes after the tag, outside the quotation.
● Omit dialogue tags where possible.
● Treat actions as separate sentences.
● Add variety by using action beats instead of dialogue tags.
● Draw unique action beats from the specific scene setting rather than relying only on basic
body language.
● “Said” is not dead, and you can use other dialogue tags in moderation, if they add to the
volume or tone.
● Use em dashes for interrupted speech.
● Use ellipses for speech that trails off.
● Semicolons and colons should appear sparingly in dialogue.
● If you’re quoting something within dialogue, use single quotation marks.
● Character monologues include open quotes (but not closed quotes) for each new paragraph.
● Break the conventions when you want, but know why you’re doing it and understand that
some readers might put your book down because of it.
● Be patient with yourself as you learn new skills. You won’t catch everything the first
time—that’s the purpose of learning to self-edit.

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How to Punctuate Dialogue

Commas with Dialogue Tags

Created by Diane Callahan – Quotidian Writer (www.quotidianwriter.com)

Created by Diane Callahan – Quotidian Writer (www.quotidianwriter.com)

Created by Diane Callahan – Quotidian Writer (www.quotidianwriter.com)

Created by Diane Callahan – Quotidian Writer (www.quotidianwriter.com)

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